Ryan Sidebottom is set to miss Yorkshire’s return to Friends Life t20 action following this weekend’s County Championship match against Durham at the Riverside.

White Rose captain Andrew Gale has revealed that Sidebottom has been battling against “a niggle in his knee that’s been getting progressively worse for the last month”.

And, with England duo Ajmal Shahzad and Tim Bresnan close to a return from their respective ankle and calf injuries, Gale and Martyn Moxon see next week as the ideal time to rest the 33-year-old left-arm swing bowler.

Sidebottom is expected to play in the 20-over match against Lancashire at Headingley on Friday and then the four-dayer against Durham, starting on Saturday.

Yorkshire then face four 20-over matches in eight days from next Wednesday to the following Wednesday.

Shahzad will almost certainly return from an ankle complaint to play against Durham, and possibly even Lancashire, while Bresnan will continue his recovery from a torn right calf by travelling with the squad to the North East.

“Brezzy’s going to come up to Durham and do some training with us, and we’re looking at him playing again straight after in the Twenty20s,” said Gale.

“We’re also hoping to give Ryan a week off to help recover. Brezzy and Aj being back would obviously help that.”

Like Moxon earlier in the week, Gale has admitted his frustration at not being able to concentrate on training for one discipline this week. Instead, they have to mix and match Championship and Twenty20 preparation.

“It’s really tough because we’re going well in the Twenty20 now, and I want the lads to continue the development of their skills,” he said.

“I feel like the more Twenty20 we’re playing, we seem to be getting better. But it’s difficult. Where do you find time to prepare for Saturday’s game when we’ve got such a big game on Friday night?

“Durham’s just as big a game because they’re flying high, and look like the team to beat at the moment. There’s no reason why we can’t get something out of the game, though. They’re going to miss Ben Stokes from their side, who’s had an outstanding year.”

After two days off, the Yorkshire squad returned to training at Headingley today.

Gale and director of professional cricket Moxon will tomorrow finalise their squad for the Durham trip. There will be tough decisions.

Which batsmen they pick will be the most interesting, with Adam Lyth now the county’s leading 20-over run-scorer after being dropped from the last four-day match against Sussex.

Gale and Jonny Bairstow would seem to be the only certainties, with Lyth, Joe Sayers, Joe Root, Anthony McGrath, Gerard Brophy and Gary Ballance fighting it out for the other four places.

All-rounder Rich Pyrah is also fit again having missed the Sussex match with a dislocated knee.